BeerBorg

Not a the nut, I just pick them up. The Char-Griller smoker grill. I bought an unused one from craigslist for 2/3 the new price. It's in the yard seasoning right now. I'm going to start smoking meat soon. Any advice? I have a good book, I'm perusing the smoking-meat forum, I bought lump charcoal and some apple chips. Can I use an iron pan as a heat diffuser?

The only advice I can give you is to invite me over but I'll bring the beers.

Probably, but I think it'd be hard on the pan (iron cookwear ain't cheap).

Nice John. I love smoking meat and cook something most every weekend in the good weather months in one of my smokers (have 2). The only advice I have is I like mixing lump and briquettes, that works well for me. Ask BlackDuck for his turtle egg recipy they are delish. Here's a forum I go to a lot, it's mostly about building smokers but a lot of good ideas on cooking. http://smokerbuilder.com/forums/index.php
Have fun and enjoy.

And to add what I forgot to mention is don't use match light charcoal or charcoal lighter fluid in a smoker, (it will leave nasty after tastes). Use a charcoal chimney, If you don't already have one get one, they work great and are cheap to buy.

Thanks guys.
Berry, I bought some Cowboy lump charcoal, I think I have a bag of Kingston briquettes. I'm reading about Minion and Volcano methods. My brother uses the chimney for grilling in his Weber, he loves it. Last night I tried paper, no good. Then a paraffin fire starter, that worked.
JJ, I'm not thinking of putting the iron in the fire, maybe on the grill under the meat. I was reading some authority that said he liked brisket in a pan.

John Sand wrote: Berry, I bought some Cowboy lump charcoal, I think I have a bag of Kingston briquettes.

That's the combo I use then I add the different types of wood for what I'm cooking and looking for in the taste.

John Sand wrote: Last night I tried paper, no good. Then a paraffin fire starter, that worked.

I've finally got to where I can use newspaper in my chimney and get it going good and fast, but them paraffin fire starter squares work real good, I use 2 of them when I have them.

I have an Akorn! Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!

I don't know that you need a heat diffuser. The Akorn is enameled, so it's very efficient; the outside doesn't even get warm. You can lay your hand on it even when the thermometer reads over 200 degrees. So I just treat it as a sort of convection oven. Brisket will require a pan, but use a cheap, disposable aluminum pan and set the brisket in it. It'll get plenty of heat and smoke. For pork shoulder, I put an old grate from a Weber kettle grill under the Akorn's grate, and set an aluminum pan with liquid on it. Catches the drippings and helps keep the meat moist. For ribs, I don't use anything; just set 'em on the grate.

You will not need a lot of charcoal; much less than you think. I use a chimney to start my charcoal, and I only put enough briquettes/lumps to cover the area of the chimney that's raised (you have to know how a chimney is constructed to visualize this). Also, rather than using newspaper or paraffin to ignite it, I just tear off strips from the top of the charcoal bag. That way, when you're done with the bag, you're done with the bag.

I don't know how experienced a barbecuer you are, but here are some tips for success:

* keep the chimney vent on the top open all the way all the time. Regulate the temperature and air flow with the damper at the base.

* Use wood chunks, and don't soak them beforehand. Put the chunks on the charcoal immediately, and then put the meat on. It'll reach temperature in fifteen or twenty minutes, but the important thing at the beginning is the smoke. You want the meat to absorb as much smoke early on as possible.

* The meat will only absorb so much smoke. Once you start to get a bark on the meat, there's no need to add more smoke; it's pretty much seared shut, and is just in need of heat to finish cooking properly. You'll learn the thresholds for various cuts of meat, but the point is, don't waste wood trying to get more smoke flavor after a certain point. You could even finish off a pork butt or a brisket in your kitchen oven, if you want.

* Low and slow. You want the temperature to be between 200 and 250. Depending on what you're 'cueing, it'll take as much time as it takes. Pork shoulders, pork loins, and brisket need to reach a certain internal temperature. With ribs, they'll be getting done when the meat recedes from the bones, but don't overcook them, or they'll be mushy. If you want my tips on the 3-2-1 method for ribs, PM me.

* Basting is key. Don't let the meat dry out, and don't worry that it looks burnt. It ain't burnt, it's barbecue.

The only complaint I have about the Akorn is that it's not easy to add more coals or more wood when necessary. They could have easily put a door in the side of it, but they didn't. Therefore, you have to work quickly, lifting the entire grate out, adding what you need to add, and then putting it back. You'll lose a little heat, but it won't negatively impact the process.

Thanks Dave. Apparently this grill is very popular. I appreciate hearing from you and Berry. I have done plenty of grilling, but no traditional barbecue. Like anything I learn, I'm doing plenty of reading, both online and on paper. But advice from people I trust (that's you guys) is especially valuable. I'm glad to know that you succeed without a diffuser. I've also read that others use baking sheets and such. At my wife's prompting, I found a 13" baking stone in the basement today. That will help if I want a diffuser, even more for baking pizza! For the charcoal, I was impressed that a small amount kept the grill hot for hours. Today I bought some hickory chunks, I already have apple chips.

And broke it in tonight. Made a pizza with fresh mozzarella, meatballs, black olives and fresh basil. (Okay, canned crushed tomatoes, but fresh garlic) Rather good, it will be better in the future.

I'm pretty sure I've got a baking stone, too, but I've never used it. I should try to find it and see about making pizza on the smoker.

I'm glad it turned out well for you, John. Let me know if I can give you any more tips on working with this rig. And let us know how your first slab of barbecued meat turns out.

I'll keep you posted, Dave. And I'm sure I'll have more questions. But I'm already impressed with this rig.

Yeah, it's a real good pit. Before I got this, I had the CharGriller grill with a side firebox. That was a good pit, too, but much larger than what I needed (and therefore inefficient), so when it started to rust out and I needed another, I went with the Akorn. For my needs, it's perfect. I grill on a propane rig and barbecue with the Akorn.

My brother bought a CharGriller dual system, with a charcoal grill and side firebox on one side and a propane grill on the other side. That's what works for him, but since I already had a gas grill, I figured I'd work with two separate rigs.

Now get to barbecuing some meat! I'd love to share the 3-2-1 method for baby back ribs. Perfect every time.

I have a Weber gas grill too, and I like it. Though I intend to try grilling on the Akorn too. My son (the butcher) said he would bring over some ribs. He smokes meat already, and recommends starting with ribs. Tell me what your method is.

I specialize in baby back ribs, but I imagine these methods hold true for spare ribs and beef ribs, too.

First, the night before, make sure you remove the silver skin from the back of the racks. It's cartilage, and it won't cook away, and it's disgusting. Just work a butter knife underneath it, between the silver skin and the bone, grab it with a paper towel, and peel it away. If done slowly, you can usually get all of it in one pull.

Then rub the ribs with whatever seasonings you like. I use the Memphis Rub recipe from one of Steven Raichlen's book, modified with some extra spices that I like. Use a lot of rub. Then put the ribs in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

On the morning of the 'cue, take the ribs out and let them get to room temperature while you prepare your pit. Use less charcoal than you think you need; the Akorn is very well insulated, and you're going to be using wood as some of your fuel, too. Use dry wood chunks for your smoke.

Once you load the coals and two or three chunks of wood, put the ribs on right away. The more smoke they absorb from the get-go, the more flavor you're going to get. Keep the chimney open all the way and regulate the temp with the damper at the bottom. It'll reach cooking temperature in 15 or 20 minutes. Keep your temp between 200 and 250. You'll probably have to add more wood chunks (and maybe some more charcoal) during the first three hours, and that's a bit of a chore, but after a while, you'll learn how to do it pretty quickly so you don't lose too much heat. I really wish they'd put a door in the side of this thing....

Depending on how many racks you're smoking, you can load them different ways. I can fit two or three racks side by side on the grate, but if I'm making four or more, I stack them Lincoln Log style, like this: # and I change their position every half hour, so they all get a fairly even exposure to the heat and smoke. Having two sets of tongs really helps with this.

Keep a good amount of smoke going at the beginning, and baste every half hour. I make a mop sauce with apple cider vinegar, water, salt, lemon juice, and Jack Daniels. I put it in a spray bottle and just spray the ribs while I'm rotating them. But anything with a good flavor will do, especially something with a nice homebrew in it.

The most important technique, IMO, is the 3-2-1 method. Three hours of lots of smoke, mopping every 30 minutes, and rotating the stacks of ribs. Then I wrap the ribs in foil along with chopped onion, crushed garlic, and Granny Smith apple slices and put them on the heat for 2 hours. No more smoke is needed after the first three hours. After two hours in the foil, I unwrap them, put more rub on, and put them back on the heat for one hour. Three-two-one, and you'll have ribs that everyone will rave about. One of the things I like to do during the final hour is brush some of my homemade Jack Daniels barbecue sauce on the ribs for the final ten or fifteen minutes. That adds some more flavor and creates a glaze that I just love. Traditionally, ribs are served dry, but I like them this way.

Anyway, that's my method, and I've had plenty of people tell me my ribs are very good. You'll develop your own way of doing things, but if you keep it low and slow, you'll have success.